Casey McCloy is the new girl in town, New York City that is. From the first moment she steps into her new home, the Bramford, she realizes how out of place she is. So when she finds out that the girl to know is Madison Macallister, she tries to become friends with her. But being recently transplanted from Normal, Illinois to the Big Apple isn’t helping her at all, and neither are her frizzy hair and not-expensive-enough wardrobe.

Madison, the it girl who gets anything and everything she wants, in a rare act of kindness, helps Casey out a bit. Madison’s two closest friends, Sophie and Phoebe, are slightly more welcoming. But they’ve all got problems of their own. Sophie has always felt like an outsider ever since she skipped a grade, and because she looks nothing like the rest of her family. Phoebe yearns for her mother to stop being so jealous of Phoebe’s beauty. And Madison’s got problems too when her ex Drew shows interest in newcomer Casey.

At first glance, The Elite seems like another Gossip Girl book, but as the story progressed, it turned into so much more. The Elite is told from alternating points-of-view of the different characters, and that helps provide much insight into their lives. I enjoyed how Jennifer Banash developed all five main characters instead of just focusing on one. What I appreciated the most was how the characters seemed real. Instead of being just stereotyped and/or ruthless, these girls and guy each had a conscience and feelings I could relate to (most of the time). Many times, I felt sympathy for the characters, but at the same time, I didn’t because I felt kind of removed from them which is probably because most of us don’t experience the lavish life of the wealthy and beautiful as these characters do.

The Elite is definitely a step up from the Gossip Girl series. I recommend it is you liked the It Girl series by Cecily con Ziegesar, the A-List series by Zoey Dean, and also the Fast Girls, Hot Boys series by Kylie Adams. Be prepared for a slightly more meaningful story than the ones presented in the series mentioned above though. Jennifer Banash’s novel was certainly a worthwhile read, and I look forward to the continuation of The Elite series.

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2013

October:67. The Color of Rain (Cori McCarthy)

September:66. The Fifth Wave (Rick Yancey)65. United We Spy (Ally Carter)64. Out of Sight, Out of Time (Ally Carter)63. Only the Good Spy Young (Ally Carter)62. Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover (Ally Carter)61. Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Ally Carter60. I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Ally Carter)59. Also Known As (Robin Benway)58. Not a Drop to Drink (Mindy McGinnis)57. The Waking Dark (Robin Wasserman)

THE BOOK MUNCHER is the reviewing alias of a prolific reader. She is guilty of several overflowing bookshelves in several states. Her literary diet is mostly dedicated to the young adult fiction genre but has been known to occasionally stray into middle grade or adult categories. She is a firm believer that reading and literacy are as essential to modern life as physical sustenance, that fiction is often truer than nonfiction, and that stories and words have the power to change the world.